It was a grim affair about an Earthman holding an outpost against terrific odds. He read the next one ... about a starship that hit a space warp and got hurled into another universe.
The third was about the Earth being threatened by a terrible war and how the hero solved the crisis by bringing about a condition which outlawed electricity, making it impossible in the Universe. Without electricity, planes couldn't fly and tanks couldn't move and guns couldn't be sighted in, so there was no war.
Charley sat in the chair like a stricken man. The magazine dropped from his fingers to the floor and he stared across the room at the opposite wall with terror in his eyes, knowing that Cooper Jackson would have read that story too.
After a while Charley got up and telephoned Doc.
"I'm worried, Charley," Doc told him. "Coop has disappeared."
"Disappeared!"
"We've tried to keep it quiet. Didn't want to stir up any fuss —the way Coop is and all. There might be too many questions."
"You're looking for him?"
"We're looking for him," Doc said, "as quietly as we can. We've scoured the countryside and we've sent out wires to police officials and missing persons bureaus."
"You've got to find him, Doc!"